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CHAPTER FOUR Impacts from Saleable Minerals Management. Mineral material disposal that results in road constructioo, vehicle use, and surface disturbance would increase erosion and sediment production, and decrease soil productivity. Operations in close proximity to perennial water courses would have the potential effect of destabilizing and altering natural stream channels and disrupting the beneficial values of floodplains. Impacts from Riparian Zones Management. Developing new water sources or relocating existing water sources to reduce utilization in riparian areas would result in the local hydrologic and soil conditions being improved. Impacts from Wildlife Habitat Management. Vegetation treatments and seedings and plantings designed to increase shrub densities on uplands and riparian areas would result in improved hydrologic and soil erosion conditions on these areas. Generally, upland soil erosion rates would be decreased as well as sediment production from stream channel and bank erosion. Water quality would also be improved. Impacts from livestock Grazing Management. Implementing IGMCs, that is, range readiness criteria, restricting total forage utilization to 20-40% on the uplands and maintaining a minimum stubble height of 4 inches in riparian zones, would markedly improve watershed cooditions and stream channel stability. Continuing to manage 320 acres of public land in the Wildcat Creek drainage as unavailable for livestock grazing would help maintain and protect the water quality of Crested Butte. Vegetation treatments would result in short-term sediment yield increases but would improve hydrologic and soil erosion conditions in the long- term. Impacts from Forest Management. Harvests of forest products and associated road construction would increase sediment production and soil compaction and erosion. Limiting road construction and timber harvests in riparian areas would maintain the existing soil and bydrologic conditions. Impacts from Recreation Management. Designating 54,620 fewer acres as open to OHV use, closing an additional 14,389 acres, and limiting OHV use on an additional 40,231 acres ( + 5,288 limited seasonally and + 34,943 acres limited to designated routes yearlong) would reduce sediment yields and erosion rates. Impacts from Rights-of-Way Management. Excluding rights-of-way development on 63,863 acres, identifying 129,144 acres as avoidance areas, and seasonally restricting rights-of-way construction on 195,751 acres would help to m;nimi7.e accelerated erosion and sediment yields. Impacts from Fire Management. Wildfrres tend to result in short-term increases in sediment production. However, in areas where existing vegetation conditions are poor for watershed protection, rrre can allow for a natural vegetation type conversion that provides additional watershed cover/protection. rrre suppression activities, such as clearing fire lines, and tbe use of suppression vehicles and heavy equipment operation, etc.) could decrease watershed productivity by disturbing protective vegetation and increasing sediment production. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES Hydrologic functions of riparian areas, water quality and stream channel stability would be expected to improve in the Long Gulch Demonstration Area, and riparian areas. Future water quantity protection would be provided on 113 miles of fisheries if minimum stream flows are secured. Sediment and erosion rates would be expected to decrease where surface-disturbing activities, including OHV use, are reduced, and where livestock grazing IGMCs are implemented. IMPACTS ON RIPARIAN ZONES IMPACTS FROM PROPOSED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS Impacts from Riparian Zone Management. Moving existing watering sources and areas from riparian and restricting development of new water sources in 4-42